


The Spirit of Mar-Vell

by wanderingKite



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel, Spider-Gwen (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Gen, Gritty, Mecha, Pilots, Screenplay/Script Format, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 15:51:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20342692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingKite/pseuds/wanderingKite
Summary: Captain Danvers and Private Stacy carry out a dangerous mission to acquire intelligence from an enemy soldier.





	The Spirit of Mar-Vell

**Author's Note:**

> I erred on the side of making the margin CSS more compatible with a mobile aspect ratio. You may find this easier to read on desktop if you make your window narrower. Sorry for the inconvenience if you are reading on desktop!

A black screen.

CAROL (V.O.)  
May the spirit of Mar-Vell alight upon my enemies. May their eyes be opened to their error. Enter their heart and let them turn to the side of the valorous. And until then, empower me to fight them how I must, with great honor and regret. Amen.

**INT. HI-TECH COCKPIT**

A BOY-FACED SOLDIER is leaning forward to speak lovingly into a HOMEMADE SATELLITE RADIO. This is DEREK, a green recruit.

DEREK  
You’re a part of me, I can feel it. I can feel it all through my body.

A staticky voice responds from the radio with equal emotion.

GWEN (O.S.)  
I can feel it too. Ever from so far away...I’m there with you.

DEREK  
I need to touch you, to hold you! To keep you close to me so that you can always be safe! I had no idea that my little sat radio would find someone like you. I was hoping to find someone on another planet...

GWEN (O.S.)  
...someone far away from this war. But instead you found me. An enemy.

DEREK  
That doesn’t matter! My life was like the void of space before. And now my soul is teeming with life! A whole ecosystem of emotion I never could have imagined. Sally, please. Tell me how we can meet. I’ll do anything for you.

CUT TO:

**INT. COMMUNICATIONS TENT -- JUNGLE -- NIGHT**

GWEN STACY is seated at a table in a makeshift communications station. She is young and brimming with energy. Outside the tent flap is a bustling military camp. On the table are a variety of communications devices and monitoring systems. Leaning over Gwen’s shoulder with her hand on the back of the chair is CAROL DANVERS. Carol is a bit older than Gwen and watching her carefully.

Carol makes a quizzical face and catches Gwen’s eye.

CAROL (mouthing silently and raising her eyebrows)  
“Sally”?

Gwen winks at her before using her microphone array to respond to Derek..

GWEN  
Derek, how can we betray our units? I just don’t know.

Derek’s voice comes back over the equipment.

DEREK (O.S.)  
No one can love you like I will! Can’t you see that Sally? You know that you only get one soul mate! If we don’t do this, we’ll never have another chance!

Gwen and Carol roll their eyes.

GWEN  
You’re...you’re so right, Derek. We have to. Listen. I’ll set off an ambiguous signal in sector 6. You can bring your unit to investigate. Then I’ll call you -- no one will be checking this old channel. We can slip away. And then…

CUT TO:

**INT. DEREK’S COCKPIT**

DEREK  
...we can be together. Forever.  
(beat)  
I have to go now. I love you.

GWEN (O.S.)  
Goodnight, love

Derek clicks off the sat radio. He runs his hand slowly from the back of his neck to his cheek, then kisses his own palm, tenderly.

DEREK  
Soon these lips will kiss yours, love.

**INT. COMMUNICATIONS TENT -- JUNGLE -- NIGHT**

Gwen turns off some of the communications devices. She glances at the monitors and takes some notes. Carol waits patiently for her to finish.

CAROL  
That was well executed, Private Stacy. We will move to sector 6 at oh-three-hundred to prepare. Hopefully there won’t be any civilians in the area.

GWEN  
Sounds great, Captain. We can have these fucking peacocks for breakfast. I bet they go good with some pancakes.

A beat.

CAROL  
You are an excellent communications technician, private. When it comes to combat and interrogation, however, you are untested. It’s not what you think.

Gwen salutes.

GWEN  
Yes, captain. I’m just excited to decorate the jungle floor with some enemy brains.

Gwen tilts her head winningly and flips her hair over her shoulder.

GWEN  
I’m going to make wasting these fuckers look good.

Carol examines her for a moment, but Gwen’s facade doesn’t break.

CAROL  
Whatever you say, private.

Carol exits the tent.

**EXT. SUPPLIES STAGING AREA -- JUNGLE -- NIGHT**

Near a stack of crates, Carol is teaching some basic knife-fighting to some YOUNG BOYS who have paused their labors at the camp to train with her. They are all holding wooden training knives. She demonstrates being grabbed from behind and stabbing the knife into the attacker’s thigh, then spinning around and cutting across the attacker’s stomach.

Gwen is peering from behind the crates and marches in.

GWEN  
I’m sure that’s perfectly practical, captain. Mind if I teach them something a little more fun?

Carol shakes her head and crosses her arms, unflappable.

GWEN  
Hmmm, how about Miles, won’t you help me?

MILES, a young boy with dark skin steps forward.

GWEN  
Grab me from behind, like Captain Danvers was showing you.

Miles ducks his head and smiles at Gwen while avoiding eye contact.

MILES  
Okay.

He wraps his arms lightly around her shoulders. He’s a handful of years younger than her, but taller and muscular.

MILES  
You okay? Am I hurting you?

Gwen smiles and raises her eyebrows at the boys who are watching.

Lightning quick , Gwen FLIPS MILES OVER HER BACK AND ONTO THE GROUND with a classic Judo throw. The boys clap at her excellent form.

Miles gets up, dizzy, but unharmed. Gwen rubs his back and kisses him on the cheek.

GWEN  
You okay, sweet boy? Did I hurt you?

MILES  
Yeah, I’m okay. That was cool!

Gwen throws her arm around his neck and draws him close so that Carol can’t hear.

GWEN (conspiratorial whispering)  
You want to see something really cool? Come by sector 6 morning after next. Captain Danvers and I will have just finished wasting some of those enemy clowns. I’ll let you practice targeting with my mech.

MILES  
Woah! Cool!

The boys’ SUPERVISOR comes around, barking orders and they scatter to their various tasks hauling boxes and unloading equipment and supplies.

**EXT. JUNGLE CANOPY -- DAY**

We move over the jungle’s canopy, lingering on a break in the treeline.

**EXT. JUNGLE POOL -- DAY**

The break in the treeline is a clearing with a pool, where a YOUNG WOMAN is bathing nude.

**EXT. JUNGLE UNDERBRUSH -- DAY**

Creeping through the underbrush toward the pool are a UNIT OF GRIMY SOLDIERS, including Derek. They peer through the foliage and point excitedly at the young woman. As she turns her back...

**EXT. JUNGLE POOL -- DAY**

...they break cover and SAUNTER TOWARDS HER with transparent menace. Derek is in the back, looking nervous and unsure what to do.

She TURNS BACK TOWARD THEM, but keeps bathing, as if unaware of their presence.

They look at each other quizzically, still grinning. One of them STEPS FORWARD.

SOLDIER  
Hey there, gorgeous.

The young woman FLICKERS.

All the soldiers’ eyes go wide as dinner plates -- a hologram! They spin around, but the world is already exploding around them. Flashbangs and other non-lethal explosives are going off, rendering them deaf and blind. They stumble around, clutching at their eyes and ears.

**EXT. JUNGLE TREETOP OBSERVATION STAND**

Sniper sight POV -- From afar, we see the soldiers writhing in pain and confusion.

The sniper rifle is held by Carol. Next to her watching without her scope is a smirking Gwen, her gun hanging loose at her side.

GWEN  
Idiots. Should’ve just shot from far away. They might’ve survived if they weren’t total pigs.

CAROL  
They should lose consciousness soon. You collect Derek, I will take the rest to the interrogation zone. Give me two hours and keep him here. Then bring him along.

GWEN  
You got it, cap.

**EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING -- NIGHT**

Derek is strung upside down from a tree bough. His hands are tied behind his back. He regains consciousness, slowly. Carol and Gwen are standing in front of him. There is a tarp covering a LUMPY HEAP in his sightline. Behind that is a small ATV.

GWEN  
Hey there, gorgeous.

CAROL  
We have some questions.

Derek tries to spit at them but it false short.

DEREK  
Go FUCK yourselves you pieces of shit!

GWEN  
Oh good idea. Maybe we’ll let you watch if you play nice.

Carol looks at Gwen sternly.

DEREK  
When they come for me, we are going to make you wish you were never born! We --

CAROL (cutting him short and stepping forward)  
Wrong, soldier.

She TAKES OUT A BOWIE KNIFE.

CAROL (quietly)  
Your friends are dead. They already told us most of what we wanted to know. We just need you to fill in the gaps. You don’t have to die in dishonor like them…

She walks to the heap and throws the tarp off -- revealing A PILE OF MUTILATED CORPSES, the soldier’s comrades. The soldier begins a retort but it stumbles and dies in his mouth. HE BEGINS TO CRY.

Gwen is aghast. She cannot speak.

CAROL  
I will not savor your screams, but I will tolerate them to find out what we need. Tell us, and we give you a quick death.

DEREK  
Do you...do you promise?

Carol nods.

CAROL  
You have my word as a soldier.

DEREK  
...alright…

We move away from their campsite slowly, retreating into the trees. After a while, when we can’t see any of the campsite any longer, we hear a gunshot.

**EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING -- EARLY MORNING**

Carol is standing over the FRESHLY DUG GRAVES of the enemy combatants. Her shovel is stuck in the ground. Gwen is sitting on a rock with her head in her hands.

GWEN  
...how can you...how could you….?

Carol turns slowly to Gwen

CAROL  
How could I what?

GWEN  
How could you do that, to those...those men?

Carol walks over the Gwen and kneels down next to her.

CAROL  
They were already dead, when I did those things to them. I shot them in the head. They felt nothing. I only did it to frighten Derek into giving us what we needed.

Gwen looks at Carol, struggling to process.

GWEN  
I thought...I didn’t think it would be like this.

CAROL  
I know. I’m going to pray for them, then we are going to leave.

Carol returns to the mound and bows her head.

CAROL  
May the spirit of Mar-Vell alight upon my enemies. May their eyes be opened to their error. Enter their heart --

Gwen stands up.

GWEN (loudly, to herself...ostensibly)  
“May their eyes be opened”? Ha!

CAROL  
This isn’t the time, private

GWEN  
They will never see our side if you do things like this. Valorous!? You are a fucking…

CAROL (cutting across her)  
Necessity. I am a necessity. This war is necessary. But we are outgunned, outnumbered, and undersupplied. We have to take extreme measures. Being on our side means seeing that. Anyone who doesn’t is only pretending to understand.

GWEN  
...no. You are a fucking monster. You are a monster!

Gwen looks terrified for a moment at what she’s said and then runs back into the jungle toward her mech.

**EXT. JUNGLE SECTOR 6 -- MORNING**

Gwen and Carol’s mechs are shrouded by camouflage cover. Gwen runs towards hers, but she’s so upset she doesn’t notice ANOTHER GRIZZLED ENEMY SOLDIER prowling around just out of sight. He raises his rifle and points it at her.

GRIZZLED SOLDIER  
Well hey there. You don’t happen to know what happened to the rest of my unit do you? Left me back as a rear guard and never got back to me.

Gwen is silent. The grizzled soldier moves closer to her.

GRIZZLED SOLDIER  
That’s okay. You’re going to tell me. And then you’re going to tell me more, and more, until you ain’t got nothing left to tell. Sound fun?

He smiles and reaches toward her. The muzzle of his rifle drops for just a moment as he goes to grab her hair. Gwen punches the soldier in the throat. He gargles and tries to raise the rifle, but her knee lifts him into the air. He hits the ground, unable to get up.

CAUTIOUS SOLDIER (O.S.)  
Damn now. You fucked him up good.

Gwen looks up, raising her gun to point it at YET ANOTHER ENEMY, but she lowers her weapon slowly when she sees he has Miles in front of him with a pistol to his head.

Miles gives her a weak smile that the cautious soldier can’t see. Miles grabs his arm, just like Gwen did to him at the supply area. He gives a great heave and...nothing. His feet aren’t set right and he doesn’t have the right form at all. The cautious soldier laughs and hits Miles in the head with the pistol grip.

As he does, Gwen grabs the grizzled soldier by the hair and pulls out her knife, yanking his head up. She puts the knife to his throat.

GWEN  
You like this guy in one piece, you sack of shit? Let the kid go. He’s got nothing to do with this.

CAUTIOUS SOLDIER  
Not now he doesn’t, but give him a few years.

GWEN  
You can have me. Let him go.

CAUTIOUS SOLDIER  
No deal, pretty lady. You might be able to shoot us up when we’re in a mech, but what you’re talking about gets real messy. You don’t want to get all messy, do you honey?

The grizzled soldier puts up his hands, shakily.

GRIZZLED SOLDIER  
Please. Please. I didn’t mean what I said. We’ll treat you fine. That was just talk. You don’t need to kill me. We follow the accords. For you and the kid.

Gwen looks from the grizzled soldier to Miles, then stares hard at the cautious soldier, calculating.

Gwen jams the knife into the grizzled soldier’s throat and is sprayed with his blood. She drags it through his neck, practically beheading him. His scream is horribly distorted, before he goes mostly silent, choking on his own blood.

CAUTIOUS SOLDIER  
You fucking bitch!

He raises the pistol to point at her -- she throws the knife, covered in blood -- it hangs in the air -- the cautious soldier pulls the trigger -- Gwen is hit in the chest and crumples to the ground -- the knife turns over one more time in the air so the handle points toward the ground -- Miles catches it. He stabs the knife into the cautious soldier’s thigh, then quickly retracts it and spins around cutting across the man’s belly, spilling gore onto the ground. Miles is covered in blood. He breathes hard, staring at the man on the ground whose life is leaking out of his body. The knife hangs loose in his hand and blood drips down his arm.

CUT TO BLACK

>


End file.
